Friday, July 16, 2010

London UNISON supports Ken for London Mayor

 London UNISON "Labour Link" (APF) today decided to support Ken Livingston to be the Labour Party candidate for Mayor of London in the 2012 elections.

I chaired this part of the meeting and the decision by the elected Committee lay members was pretty one sided and there was a clear consensus. Everyone present said their bit.

I also reported that UNISON National Labour link had carried out a telephone poll of our levy payers and had found that Ken had 2:1 support.

A number of committee members spoke highly of the other candidate, Oona King, but we felt the person best placed to beat Boris in 2012 and work with UNISON was Ken.

After this decision we then had yet another really good wide ranging political debate about who to recommend to our national Labour Link delegate for London, Rachel Voller, for the Labour Party leadership.  The result of which we agreed to keep confidential until after the meeting of the National Labour Link committee next week.  This committee will decide who we should advise Labour link members to support (or whether or not to make any nomination).  Again, everyone present contributed to the debate and we also watched on DVD the closing speeches of all the candidates at the UNISON Labour Link hustings last month.

Finally, on behalf of the committee I offered congratulations to the other Chair, Lollypop Louise, on her victory last week in defeating the Nazi BNP candidate, Richard Barnsbrook, in the by-election in Barking and Dagenham Council.  Great news!

Members were also reminded of the West Ham Leadership hustings we are sponsoring (and to which local UNISON Labour link members have been invited) this Sunday evening at Stratford, E15.  All candidates have confirmed that they will attend and we will be trying a "different format" than other hustings.
(picture of Ken at our London UNISON Regional Council in May with our Convenor Gloria and BA picket Nikki)

5 comments:

Andrew Berry said...

John why were branches asked to carry out a consultation for mayor selection which Islington did and then have phone poll anyway? It not like you can add them together as some could be the same people? Will we get the result of the phone poll for leader too?

John Gray said...

Hi Andrew

Nothing wrong with having different consultations?

Find out on Wednesday.

It is a recommendation not a block vote? The lvey members will decide.

Andrew Berry said...

John

I do know that it not a block vote! I would still be interested in the full phone poll results. Of cause the phone poll is just advisory but if you do something different then I think you do need to explain to the members why you made a different recommendation given UNISON has gone to the expense to consult

John Gray said...

Hi Andrew

this is a "warts and all" telephone survey which should be taken into account while the actual recommendation (or not as the case might be) is by elected National Labour Link & NEC representatives.

Andrew Berry said...

We have had a phone poll that has been paid for I think warts and all as you put it we should have the result. London Committee has made it views clear to Rachel taking into account the phone poll.

You may have made a different decision then the poll suggested and I may or may not agree with your decision and don't assume I wont agree, not sure I would happy for the committee to recomend no candidates even if that’s what the result of the poll was, but I do think it should all reported in a open and transparent way. I hope all the consultations and regional recommendation are made available to members on Wednesday.